What part of "broke" don't you understand?

Oh I agree. The problem is clear and so is the answer. Stop spending, earn more. But I don't see anything being done by either party until there is a total collapse. Whoever gets in the next time it will be ssdp - same stupidity different party.

One part of me says we need to make it so every one makes it through this, The other part of me knows the money is being wasted.

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squashnut & bassketcher

Champagne D Argent, White New Zealand & Californian Cross Rabbits

Neither did any other regimes. Debt has grown every since we started borrowing, no matter what party is in office.

I have no problem with the fact that we "will" get through this.... I just see a problem with a lotta folks not liking the process. Already there is whining and a great gnashing of teeth... and we aint seen nuthin as it relates to needed spending cuts. All we have so far is promises of not increasing the spending.... by very small amounts.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

Cutting spending is vital but so is proper auditing of ALL government expenditures. It isn't just the person collecting welfare who is not eligible that is costing the tax payer but it is government contractors being paid for work that is not completed or that have huge overruns in time and money - especially military contracts.

Yeppers, theres a lot of waste going on. lets cut the waste out of the military spending... that should cut that part of the budget in half... a savings of roughly an eighth of our spending. Then get rid of all the waste in social programs.... that eliminates them entirely, cutting roughly two thirds of our current spending. That leave a fourth of our budget in place, and we know theres plenty of waste left in that part to be cut.... we should be able to get our budget down to about one sixth of its current size just by eliminating wasteful spending. If we did that, we should have plenty of revenue to pay off the national debt in just a few years... ok, maybe 10 or 15 but then... we could start building a fund to have on hand in case we needed it, once we had 10 or 15 trillion in the treasury we could cut taxes out almost entirely, just taking enough to run the ongoing expense so we didnt have to dip into the emergency fund.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

That's part of what the school levy did here is start a reserve fund. What about the reserve fund needed by the home owners here? I wish i had a reserve fund.

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squashnut & bassketcher

Champagne D Argent, White New Zealand & Californian Cross Rabbits

Another rant about entitlement programs. At the least americans benefit somewhat, Cut out foreign aid entirely and cut the defense department by 2/3. Eliminate 1/2 of the worthless government agencies. The deficit is paid off.

Unfortunately, it is a fiat debt paid with fiat dollars. So who really cares?

YH "get rid of all the waste in social programs.... that eliminates them entirely,"

No that does not eliminate them entirely. There are lots of parts of the social programs that are important and necessary. Or should someone who is disabled and unable to work just lie down in the gutter and beg for alms? A proper audit and enforcement of any social program would guarantee that those who are genuinely in need would benefit but those who would attempt to defraud would not succeed. The problem isn't even in the current laws - it is in the enforcement.

Ya, the pot smokers get their free pot and that's what counts don't it.

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squashnut & bassketcher

Champagne D Argent, White New Zealand & Californian Cross Rabbits

Whats a pot smaker?

it would eliminate them from our federal budget entirely, shifting the job back to the local communities where it belongs. I have never argued against taking care of the disabled but it needs to be done on a level where it can be monitored to keep the deadbeats out. Our federal government was never designed to perform these tasks... you have to remember that the feds are there to govern the states..... not the people.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

pot smaker

noun

a person who smakes pot

see also people who smak pot so much they commit typos

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

see also people who make fun of people who make typos.

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squashnut & bassketcher

Champagne D Argent, White New Zealand & Californian Cross Rabbits

Except that many states depend on transfer payments and federal grants in order to provide those social programs or at least to bring them up to standard. I agree that the enforcement should always be at a local level which is do-able even if the money comes from the Feds. The problem is in enforcement.

So do we hire more government workers to enforce the current rules? That equals bigger government. Which would result in even greater debt. Which defeats the original purpose.

Another idea has come up that we should turn into snitches.

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squashnut & bassketcher

Champagne D Argent, White New Zealand & Californian Cross Rabbits

Why would you have to hire more government workers? There are already laws on the books and enforcement agencies but they are not being used to follow the laws.

An old school term for when someone makes a silly remark, you pick up the nearest cast iron pot and "smak" 'em.

But i could be wrong.

The problem is we give the government too much money - taxes. If give someone access to your bank account or credit cards and they constantly overdraw and exceed the limit,leaving you to pay all the charges, interest and fees - at some point you have to cut them off, to teach them how to be responsible. I don't know how long is going to take before enough people realize it and do something about it, but I hope it's soon. Every week i open my paystub, I find someone has already gotten there first and every week. And as I struggle to pay my bills with what is left, I keep hearing that voice pleading with me to give them some more to spend.

Problem is it is not even that simple.
The amount the family intended to borrow on credit cards was going to be $16,885.00 but they only borrowed $16,500.00 and then say they cut the budget by $385.00

Second since when is it expected that we have money to spend it?

Laslly, What are you willing to give up in order to actually lower spending? All this hooplah about how the money is spent never really impacts votes. But cutting programs sure does. When the people really want spending under control they will vote politicians out of office that spend. regardless of what they have to give up. But that will never happen. It is like everyone wants it fixed but nobody want to be the one that fixes it. Americans will run head first into disaster before they say fine I will be the one that gives in.